Our Real Identity: Nature of the Soul

Many people in this material world are unaware of the self. In other words, they do not believe in the existence of the soul. The Darwinian theory of matter suggests that consciousness arises from matter. Since one cannot measure or touch the soul physically there is the widespread belief that the soul does not exist. But the Bhagavad Gita tells us that to consider life to be merely material is fallacious. Our body is material and temporary. Within all of us is the eternal self, the soul or the atma. A living being is conscious even though this awareness cannot be measured by scientists. Scientists have made many discoveries but they have not been able to duplicate human consciousness in totality.

Why the scientists have not been able to explain consciousness correctly is easy to understand. Bhagavat Gita explains that consciousness is spiritual and beyond the material realm. The techniques of looking at and treating the body and mind cannot be applied to the atma. We think that our identity is material because we are trapped in maya and because of our false ego. But in fact, the self is eternal. The real aim of life is to connect with our creator Lord Krishna, gain enlightenment and free ourselves from material bondage. The soul continues to transmigrate and goes through repeated cycles of birth, old age, disease and death again and again until it understands the self’s relationship with the Supreme Lord. 

We go through life pursuing our material goals and we find that we are not fulfilled even after attaining them. When we realize our true spiritual identity as a spirit soul connected with God then we realize how we are interconnected with everyone else in the world. Consequently, we develop universal love for others. 

In the second chapter of the Bhagavad Gita it is explained that the self is not material. The first argument that the self cannot be material is because no weapon can kill the spirit soul. The material body can be killed but the spirit soul is indestructible. Regardless of scientific devices that are used the soul is ever-lasting, immutable and imperishable. We are the separated part and parcels of the eternal Lord Krishna. We are like sparks of fire and have the same quality as fire.  However, we are prone to be extinguished when we are out of the fire or separated from our creator.

In Chapter 2 Verse 23 it is said –

nainaṁ chindanti śastrāṇi
nainaṁ dahati pāvakaḥ
na cainaṁ kledayanty āpo
na śoṣayati mārutaḥ

“The soul can never be cut to pieces by any weapon, nor burned by fire, nor moistened by water nor withered by wind.” 

The second argument that the soul is immaterial is that for the soul there is no birth and death. The self is not killed when the body perishes. This is explained in Chapter 2 Verse 20 of the Bhagavad Gita. 

na jāyate mriyate vā kadāchin
nāyaṁ bhūtvā bhavitā vā na bhūyaḥ
ajo nityaḥ śhāśhvato ’yaṁ purāṇo
na hanyate hanyamāne śharīre

“For the soul there is neither birth nor death at any time. He has not come into being, does not come into being, and will not come into being. He is unborn, eternal, ever-existing and primeval. He is not slain when the body is slain.” 

From this we can understand that anything material has to have birth and death but the soul is beyond these. It this has no past, present and future. Soul is consciousness and this is the symptom of the self. The soul exists and it is eternal. The sun is hidden by the clouds and when the clouds move away, we can see the sun. Similarly, our consciousness is always present and we can connect to it by intuition when the clouds of maya go away. 

Something in us is the same at different stages in life and even though the body changes. After death, the soul takes on another body. This is explained in Bhagavad Gita Chapter 2 Verse 13.

dehino ‘smin yatha dehe
kaumaram yauvanam jara
tatha dehantara-praptir
dhiras tatra na muhyati

“As the embodied soul continually passes, in this body, from boyhood to youth to old age, the soul similarly passes into another body at death. The self-realized soul is not bewildered by such a change.”

We may have heard of many near death experiences or cases of past life recollections that cannot be explained by science. This also points to the soul being eternal even though the body takes another form.

KEY TAKEAWAYS:

We tend to identify with our temporary, material body. However, beyond our material body is the spiritual and eternal soul. This is the source of our consciousness. The soul is indestructible and unchangeable. It passes from one body to another through many incarnations. This happens until it is finally free from material bondage.

We are in essence spiritual beings. We are beyond this body.  We are all part of God and this is our real identity. The real purpose of human life is to understand our true eternal spiritual self. We should cultivate our eternal relationship with the Supreme Lord. This will result in happiness. Developing a strong connection with God will also enable us to love His creation.